


Just a Friend

by MiddleofNowhere92



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, F/M, My boy lee with the great cup of tea is firelord, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29727633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddleofNowhere92/pseuds/MiddleofNowhere92
Summary: Toph gets pissed that she's stuck in the friend zone with Zuko. Her frustrations finally boil over.
Relationships: Toph Beifong/Zuko
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	Just a Friend

**Author's Note:**

> So I made the Day of Two Lovers the ATLA equivalent of Valentine's Day. 
> 
> Black Day is a South Korean Holiday where singles celebrate (and complain) about being single by going to eat jajangmyeon (noodles)

Toph could feel Zuko intentionally slowing his steps to walk in line with her. They walked down the seemingly endless stairs of the palace in Ba Sing Se.

He asked, "So what are we doing tonight?" She explained, "It's Black Day, an Earth Kingdom thing."

As they descended down the steps, she started to hear the bustle of the Upper Ring. Zuko’s voice rose above the noise, "It's like the opposite of the Day of Two Lovers, right?"

"Right! Instead of being all gross and in love, today we get to celebrate being single." Zuko chuckled, "Cool, cool. I heard a couple people talk about it at the tea shop."

Toph wrapped her hand on Zuko's elbow. She could mostly feel where passersby were walking, but it was comforting to have Zuko by her side. 

After they walked for awhile, she smelled the noodle shop and pulled him into it. It sounded crowded, lots of people excitedly talking over each other. 

They jostled their way to a corner table. Zuko’s long legs stretched underneath Toph’s chair, while her’s dangled, the pads of her feet barely touching the floor. 

Toph felt a set of footsteps coming towards them, must be the waitress. The steps stopped not too far from their table and then they approached. Toph wondered why the girl was so nervous. 

The waitresses’ soft voice asked, “Lee?” Toph’s brow furrowed,  _ the fuck was this bitch talking about?  _ She asked, “Who the fuck is Lee?”

Zuko’s heart rate was picking up as he cleared his throat, “Uh, hi Jin.. My name is actually Zuko. Lee was a name I was going by when I was here.” The waitress cleared her throat, “Oh, well, it’s nice to see you again  _ Zuko _ .”  Toph didn’t like the way Zuko’s name rolled off her tongue, like it was a sticky candy that she liked more than she should. 

The Earthbender cleared her throat, “Well, I’m ready to order. We’ll have some jasmine tea and two orders of  jajangmyeon.” The air was awkward for a moment, before the other girl answered, “Oh, of course. I’ll get that right out for you.” Her feet were light as she scurried away from the table. 

Toph looked in Zuko’s general direction, “The Spirits was that Sparky?” Zuko’s heart rate was still all over the place, “It-it was nothing.” Toph rolled her eyes and he sighed, “Fine. Uncle made me go on a date with her when we were refugees here.”

Toph snorted, because it was exactly the type of thing Iroh would do. But the thought of Zuko on a date with another girl was well...unsettling. As Sokka and Suki started dating and Katara and Aang were all over each other all the time, her and Zuko stuck it out together. 

The soft footsteps came back, the girl setting down the tea. Her gentle voice asked, “So Zuko, you’re celebrating Black Day?” “Uh, yeah, with my friend Toph,” he answered. “Oh _just a_ _ friend _ ?” Toph also didn’t like how this girl said _friend_ , as if it was an insult. She didn’t like the way this girl talked at all, maybe she just didn’t like _her_. 

The Earthbender decided she had had enough of this. She didn’t need to listen to yet another girl throwing herself at Zuko. She shoved back from the table and marched out of the restaurant. 

Stupid Sparky. Why did she care so much about him anyway? It’s not like he would ever like her, not the same way she liked him. Toph had no idea what she looked like, or what other girls looked like, but she had the distinct feeling that she wasn’t pretty in the same way that other girls were. 

As she felt the tears spill onto her face, it only made her more annoyed. She was so pissed she felt like crumbling all the walls in the stupid city to the ground. 

Toph sat on the edge of the fountain of Two Lovers. She swung her feet and kicked them in the fountain. The cool water relaxed her slightly and she let out a sigh. 

Suddenly, someone invaded her space, a shoulder bumping into hers. They smelled like cinnamon and citrus. She scoffed at Zuko, “What do you want?” 

His pinky bumped into her’s on the fountain’s edge, “What’s wrong?”

She turned her head the other way and grumbled, “Nothing.” His shoulder bumped hers again, “I’m dumb, but I know when you’re pissed. Just talk to me.” She sulked, “Everywhere we go girls just loooove you.” Zuko took a minute before he answered, “Jin was just being nice.” Toph blew a piece of hair out of her face, “Sure. Whatever Sparky.”

The quiet stayed between them. Toph swirled her feet in the fountain. 

Zuko’s warm hand rested on top of her smaller one, “Toph, I value you and the time we spend together.” “Yeah, as a  _ friend.”  _ “Toph-” She stood in the fountain and cut him off, “No Zuko! You know what? I get it! I totally get it! I’m not like all the other girls that fawn after you, but you know what it’s  _ fine _ ! Go back to whatever her name is and enjoy your night.”

She took in a breath to come down from her outburst. Zuko asked, “Wait, Toph are you jealous? Do you like me?” Toph dragged her hands down the side of her face, “Of course I like you, you giant dummy! Isn’t it obvious?”

Her stomach flipped against her will when he chuckled, “I guess it is now.” She mumbled, “That’s fine, laugh at me.” He grabbed her fingers and pulled her towards him. He could almost hear him smile, “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at me, always a little slow to pick stuff up.”

He took both her hands, in his larger warm ones and asked, “It’s still early in the night. Wanna pick up where we left off? We’ll go on a proper date another night.”

Date..another night… the words buzzed in her mind on repeat as her and Zuko strolled through the streets looking for some trouble to get into. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing this ship and writing from Toph's POV, I'm always open to kind constructive criticism. 
> 
> This fic came out of the ATLA rarepair one shot requests I take on tumblr. This month's prompt was valentine's day. If you haven't gotten enough of my idiocy come be my fren on [tumblr](https://middleofnowhere92.tumblr.com)


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